author | speaker | coach | hugger

abundance

It wasn’t until my second trip into the garden in the blistering heat, my arms full of crunchy celery, delicate parsley and colorful Swiss chard, that I came to appreciate just how much my New Year’s resolution is coming true.

In January I set an intention for ‘Easeful Abundance‘ in 2016. I wrote it over my desk and imagined it taking the form of loving my home and my body, welcoming financial wealth and prosperity, feeling more grounded, and being in a great relationship.

What I received, among other things, are kale and tomatoes.

My dad planted 30 kale in the front yard this year, because he knew I liked them and got carried away. Clearly. There are at least as many tomato plants from little orange gems of sweetness to gnarly and beautiful heirlooms.

Last night at dinner he said, “You can never have too many tomatoes.”

We are living by that motto right now, and they are everywhere! Why plant them in one place? I’m finding new ones all the time, under ever-widening leaves of kale and hidden among overgrowths of weeds. There are lots of those too. This is not the prettiest, most organized garden you’ll ever see, but the plants don’t seem to mind.

Did I mention the mystery squash growing in the compost pile? This seems like a children’s book waiting to happen: “What’s growing in Tom’s garden?”
What struck me as I stood at the kitchen sink washing, freezing, and eating some of the bounty growing outside our door, was how easy this all was. I live ten feet away from a literal abundance of organic garden goodness.

I’ve been uncomfortable in the past with too-much of anything. Choosing ‘Abundance‘ this year was in effort to become more accustomed to having more than enough of what I need and keeping my arms wide open for more. The ‘Easeful‘ part was a reminder that great things can naturally happen without much effort from me. I can show up and receive. Another old story I’m letting go of in service of a happier life.

If kale and tomatoes can pop out of the ground… If my dad can be surprised by how many yellow tomatoes we have because every time he went to the store in the spring he grabbed another remembering that they are my favorite… This is what Easeful Abundance can be like.